It is unclear when farmers hit by foot-and-mouth disease will be able to resume operations, Veterinary Services director Christodoulos Pipis told the House Finance and Budget Committee, saying that in some cases a farm was ready to restart but other farmers were showing complete indifference.
Of the 126 farmers affected, 57 have declared their farms ready to restart, the committee heard. Foot-and-mouth disease dominated its discussion of the 2027 budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
Pipis was responding to a question from ELAM parliament member Linos Papayiannis and to criticism of the delays. He said the process did not depend solely on the Veterinary Services.
The committee heard that a lack of cooperation, and delays in cleaning and adapting certain neighbouring farms, were holding up the restart area by area, even though the Veterinary Services were taking the necessary steps within their remit.
Agriculture Minister Christos Senekis said the ministry attached particular importance to supporting livestock farming after the outbreak. Rebuilding herds would involve animals of high genetic value, better reproductive management and more rational planning of where livestock farms are located, he said. He added that in 2027 the ministry would continue to tackle the disease through repeat vaccination and substantial support for affected farmers, and that it was working hard to meet its targets, with an emphasis on prevention, resilience to water shortages and support for the primary sector through measurable results.
DISY’s Giorgos Karaiskakis said livestock farmers were suffering and that simply replacing their animals was not enough. He also raised the losses suffered by vine growers from downy mildew. Prodromos Alambritis voiced strong concern about the state of the integrated waste management facilities and odours from the direct burial of waste.
AKEL’s Yiannakis Gavriel and Nikos Kettiros said waste management and the Pay-As-You-Throw scheme had failed. They also asked for answers on protecting halloumi’s protected designation of origin (PDO) status, the illegal use of milk powder, and environmental issues in Akamas.
ELAM’s Sotiris Ioannou and Papayiannis called for tougher measures against profiteering and the illegal flow of goods from the occupied north. DIKO’s Andreas Apostolou and ALMA’s Litsa Drysiotou focused on cutting water losses, environmental studies and the impact of desalination plants on coastal areas.
The ministry’s proposed budget for 2027 is 532 million euros, up 3.5 per cent on 2026, rising to 580 million euros with co-funded resources. Water security remains a key priority, receiving 43 per cent of the budget, with about 230 million euros earmarked for desalination and water projects.
